Storm Clouds Gather
by Smokewisp
Summary: 2nd book to Into Darkness. A young shecat,Snowpaw, is the daughter of Leafstar. Her adventures in her Clan are lead to split loyalties and callings. Snowpaw has a forbidden love while one cat stands in the way. Suddenly, 2 mysterious cats join the Clan.
1. Beginning

The undergrowth trampled under her paws, her beautiful blue eyes shone with excitement and her fluffy tail perked up. She gave a quick lick to her short fur as she darted through the forest. Her name was Snowpaw.

Her mentor, Shadowstep, was looking for her, "Snowpaw! It's not funny any more!" He growled as he came into sight.

Then she leaped on him, throwing him to the dusty ground.

"Ha Ha!" She screeched with laughter.

Shadowstep straightened himself up, "Snowpaw...You shouldn't have been dancing through the woods while we are trying to train!" He spat.

Snowpaw flattened her ears, "I'm sorry, Brambleclaw..."

Shadowstep flicked his tail for her to follow him back to camp. When they got there, it was almost sun high.

"Cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather underneath the High Rock for a Clan meeting." Her mother, Leafstar, called from the High Rock.

Cats slinked into the clearing and yawned.

"What's going on?" Snowpaw looked at her father, Glacierclaw, "I don't know..." She murmured. No apprentice was made and no warrior was being christened.

Leafstar looked worried, "Last night, our medicine cat, Littlecloud, reported that he had a dream about another prophecy."

She glanced over at Littlecloud, how bowed his head.

Leafstar meowed again, "And it said that a storm would be coming." Some elders muttered to each other while queens looked frightened and apprentices bristled with excitement.

Leafstar then leaped off the High Rock. Glacierclaw darted up to her, "Leafstar..." He murmured.

Snowpaw looked at her best friend, Brookpaw.

"Brookpaw, what do you think it means?"

Her dark gray friend's blue eyes twinkled, "I don't know but it sounds exciting! A storm!" She reflected and her tail fluffed up.

"Brookpaw!" a harsh but amused voice called. It was Sunbeam.

"Sunbeam!" Brookpaw said. Her ears flattened as her mentor walked up to her, "I thought you said that you were hunting."

"I was, but then I came back to camp because Phoenixfeather said that Leafstar was calling a meeting."

"Well, don't listen to Phoenixfeather. He's an old grouch. Come on, let's train."

Brookpaw flicked her ears in farewell as Sunbeam and Brookpaw went out of camp. Snowpaw sighed to Shadowstep, "Are we going to train?"

"Not after today. We'll train in two suns. You deserve a rest."

Snowpaw nodded and grabbed up a squirrel from the fresh-kill pile, sitting under a tree at the far side of the clearing. Then she saw a large black tom apprentice near her by the apprentice den. His fur was short and sleek and his eyes were dark gold.

"Hey, Ravenpaw!" Snowpaw called, but the dark tom just glanced at her, blinked, and carried on talking with Tallpoppy, his mentor. The long-legged she-cat tabby was talking about his training.

"You should be a warrior near next moon's nearing..." The she-cat was saying. Ravenpaw looked happy and they departed. Ravenpaw slipped away out of camp.

"Ravenpaw?" Snowpaw finished her squirrel and she raced out of camp behind her friend.

"Ravenpaw...Where are you going?" She whispered to herself as she veered away from camp. Ravenpaw was out of sight and Snowpaw was left there, blankly.

"Er..." She murmured and then she heard the undergrowth snapping behind her. She whipped around but it was only a vole. She didn't want to hunt. She needed to find Ravenpaw.

Her bright white fur shone through the forest so she was an easy target for any passing warriors to scold her for being so far from camp. Her paws kneaded anxiously on the ground. The sun was going down and it was almost time for the Gathering.

Suddenly, her bright blue eyes caught movement and a heavy weight fell on her.

"AHA!" a familiar voice said and Snowpaw heard a cat laughing as she leaped to her feet.

It was Ravenpaw.


	2. The Meeting

"Ravenpaw!" Snowpaw hissed but when she saw him laughing, she started laughing, too.

"Why did you do that?" She laughed as they walked home together.

"Well, I don't know but you should have seen the look on your face!" He started laughing and Snowpaw swatted his ear with her paw lightly.

They were both chosen to go to the Gathering.

"My first Gathering!" Snowpaw breathed excitedly as her and Brookpaw walked to the Gathering, side by side.

"I know, mine too!" Brookpaw hissed under her breath happily. They went down the hill into Fourtrees and Ravenpaw caught up with Snowpaw, "Hey." He said.

"First Gathering?" A voice behind Snowpaw said as she sat down in the clearing. 3 out of the 4 leaders were on top of the High Rock so she had some time to talk.

She turned around and a golden tom with brown eyes was there. He looked like an older apprentice.

"Oh, hi." Snowpaw greeted friendly.

"Hello...My name is Lionpaw." He was large but muscular.

"Hi, Lionpaw...Are you from-" She sniffed the air, "-ThunderClan?"

"That's right." he meowed and he sat down beside her.

Snowpaw felt her paws tingle when his fur touched hers.

Soon, the Clan leaders started the Gathering as soon as RiverClan came.

"Cats of all Clans." Breezestar, an older warrior she-cat in ThunderClan, said as she stepped forward, "there has been much excitement with all the Clans." She glared at Leafstar but his eyes softened, " ShadowClan scared us out of our camps and drove us away. She has given all the Clans permission to hunt in ShadowClan territory until sun down tomorrow."

Meows of approval rang through the crowd. Even Leafstar nodded friendly.

Lionpaw didn't move a muscle. His eyes were fixed intently on a RiverClan warrior who disappeared behind a rock. Snowpaw frowned and whispered, "Lionpaw? Are you alright?"

Lionpaw blinked, shaking out of his daze, "Yeah, sure...but did you see that? That RiverClan warrior-I think his name is Darkwater-disappeared behind the Great Rock.

Snowpaw shrugged, "So? He probably was hunting or something...I don't know, but he just was doing something stupid. So what?"

Lionpaw looked at Snowpaw blankly, his orange eyes blazed, "I need to find out what. These things bother me." He stood up. Snowpaw followed as they wove back and forth through all the cats who were sitting, watching the leaders speak the Clan news.

They saw the dark tabby run into the forest. Snowpaw and Lionpaw followed closely and stealthily behind.

"Snowpaw," Lionpaw hissed softly, "over here!" He darted behind a bush in front of Darkwater. Snowpaw dove into the bramble bush. She stepped on a painful thorn and tried not to yowl.

Darkwater was talking with a big, brown warrior that smelt like he was from ThunderClan.

"Bearclaw, when are we going to strike?" Darkwater asked quickly, "ShadowClan and WindClan are weak. After Leafstar stopped being mental, the forest crumbled. We needed her strength to rule the forest."

Lionpaw looked shocked, "That's my mentor..."He breathed and then his eyes flamed with fury.

Bearclaw thought, "I'll talk to Marshstar about it. ThunderClan will defiantly join forces with RiverClan. Count on that. If you go to the next Gathering, meet back here. We have lots to discus."

"Yes, Bearclaw." The cats departed and Snowpaw and Lionpaw raced back to Fourtrees. The moon was almost covered completely by the soft silvery clouds and no cats were at Fourtrees.

Lionpaw said firmly, "Ask your leader if you may go to the next Gathering. I'll be there for sure."

Snowpaw nodded and looked around the empty clearing, "Well, I guess this is it. I have to go now."

Lionpaw nodded but his eyes flashed sadly. He touched his nose to her shoulder.

"Bye, Snowpaw."

"I'll see you, Lionpaw." They sat there for another moment and Lionpaw sighed, standing up. Snowpaw admired his muscles and lean figure. He dipped his head and bounded off.

Snowpaw was left in a mournful daze, "Oh, Lionpaw..." She said softly and turned to her own Clan, leaving all thought behind.


	3. Cloudy Visitors

Dirt flew everywhere. A small but strong tortoiseshell hissed as a snow white she-cat hit the ground. He pinned her down.

"Ha!" Hazelpaw purred triumphantly.

Snowpaw growled but the play-fight was over. She shook herself of the dust, "Get off, you great lump." She leaped to her paws and flicked Hazelpaw on the shoulder with her paw.

"Good job..." She nodded to her brother and Hazelpaw stretched out, yawning, on the ground by the apprentice den.

Snowpaw yawned also, "I'm hungry..." She looked at the sky, "I'll ask mom if I can go on the sun-high hunting patrol. See you." She bounded off and slid into the ShadowClan leader's den, "Leafstar!"

Her mom was talking to Glacierclaw as they shared a rabbit.

"Yes, Snowpaw?"

"Could I go on the Sun-High hunting patrol?"

"I don't know, can you?" Leafstar had a glint of amusement in her eyes.

"Yes, I can. May I?"

"Yes. Oh, and ask Shadowstep and another apprentice to go with you." And then Leafstar added when Snowpaw started grinning, "And you are not leading it..." She smiled with interest.

Snowpaw rolled her eyes, "And before you start telling me all the rules, I'll be sure to stay away form rouge cats, enemy warriors, badgers, and foxes." Leafstar nodded and Glacierclaw dipped his head, "Hurry up, now."

Snowpaw nodded and waltzed out of the den. She looked around wildly and she soon saw Shadowstep patching up the elder's den, "Hey, Shadowstep! Leafstar wants you to hunt with me and another apprentice!"

Shadowstep dropped the sticks and nodded, "Ok, I'll wait for you at the camp entrance." He walked to the camp entrance majestically.

Snowpaw impatiently poked her head into the apprentice den, "Brookpaw?"

"Yeah?" A voice said behind her. It was Brookpaw.

"Will you take a hunting patrol with me and Shadowstep?"

"Sure." Her eyes shone with excitement as she padded out of camp with Shadowstep and Snowpaw.

"I smell...fox, but not recent...mouse a little distance away..." Snowpaw heard some scuffling and Brookpaw had the mouse in her jaws. Snowpaw giggled then started sniffing the air again, "Er... there's bird and old kittypet stench.And then..." Her nose wrinkled but then her eyes flew open in fear, "Rouge!" She bristled and at that same moment, two toms leaped of the bushes. There was dead silence. They were too fat to be rouges but too muscular to be kittypets.

"Who are you!" snarled Shadowstep. The cats showed no motion in defending themselves. One was a bright golden tom with gray eyes and the other one was a dark brown tom with icy blue eyes.

The golden one stepped forward. He was large and sleek. His voice echoed, "My name is Lightning, this is my brother, Thunder." The dark brown tom, who was a bit smaller, nodded. The sun-colored one continued, "We are not rouges but we have come from the Tribe of Rushing Water."

Brookpaw narrowed her eyes and squeaked, "The Tribe of What-What?" Lightning sighed and him and Thunder were led back to camp with Shadowstep, who was still suspicious. Was this the storm that Leafstar fortold? Lightning and thunder...Snowpaw shrugged and caught up to Shadowstep. Brookpaw was excited.

What would happen? Why did these two toms come here? What did they want?


	4. Why?

"Who are you?"

Leafstar called from the High Rock. All the cats in the Clan waited to know who these strange cats were. An elder poked his head out of his den curiously.

Lightning rolled his eyes, stepping forward, "I am Lightning...this is my brother, Thunder."

Leafstar narrowed her eyes, "Why have you come here? And where from?"

This time, Thunder spoke, "We have come from the Tribe of Rushing Water."

Interested murmurs shot through the crowd. The Tribe of Rushing Water?

"Where is that?"

"What's Rushing Water?"

"It's water that's rushing!"

"But why have the come?"

Lightning explained, "We have come here...To escape. From the Tribe of Burning Embers."

"Tribe of Burning Embers?" Leafstar snorted, "Is that even a place?"

Lightning hesitated, unable to find words.

"Well, no...we have just come here to escape and..."

Suddenly a yowl sounded.

"Snowpaw is gone!" cried Glacierclaw.

* * *

I know that this chapter was really short, but I'm having a Writer's Block. I have to add up Ravenpaw,Lionpaw,Lightning,Thunder,ThunderClan and RiverClan traitors...Oops! I've said too much...heh heh...


	5. Invited

The loners looked more alarmed than any cat. Leafstar was frantic, "What! She was just standing here!" She hissed, looking wildly around.

Glacierclaw leaped onto the High Rock and started murmuring comforts to her. Brookpaw had her eyes wide open as she darted into the forest.

"Snowpaw!" She called and she wasn't even aware that she crossed the border.

Snowpaw was sniffing some ferns. She was looking for Lionpaw to tell him about the ShadowClan visitors.

"Brookpaw!" Snowpaw exclaimed and ran up to her friend, purring, "What are you doing here in ThunderClan territory?"

"I might ask you the same!" Brookpaw said.

"Well, I need to tell Lionpaw something."

Brookpaw's whiskers twitched, "Well...That sounds fun, but...who's Lionpaw?"

Suddenly, they heard ThunderClan warriors. It was Bearclaw, Lionpaw, and a dark gray she-cat that Snowpaw didn't recognize.

Snowpaw and Brookpaw darted into a bush.

"It must be a patrol or something..." Snowpaw murmured and Bearclaw stopped frozen in his tracks, sniffing the air, "Hmm..." He said and padded on, still a little suspicious.

The patrol slinked on but Lionpaw glared at the bush, "I know it's you, Snowpaw..." His eyes softened, "Come on out." Snowpaw sighed, running up to Lionpaw and breathed in his warm scent.

"Lionpaw! There are two mysterious visitors! They're from some Tribe from the mountains! Oh, and did you find anything out about Bearclaw and Darkwater?"

Lionpaw sighed, "Bearclaw is taking this patrol right now to go see Marshstar, the leader of RiverClan. He's deputy and ever since Swiftstar went missing, the Clan has fallen apart."

Sunpaw shifted sides anxiously, "Really? Is Bearclaw going to ask Marshstar to join forces?"

"I think so..." His eyes glimmered, "So...How's everything?"

Brookpaw had been looking at Lionpaw with suspicion.

"Is he our friend?" She abruptly asked as the friendly conversation dwindled. Snowpaw finally sighed, unable to pull herself away from him, "I will see you around...?"

Lionpaw seemed a little reluctant to leave also. But then he tasted the air, "They're coming! You must leave!" He hissed.

Then Snowpaw leaped to her paws, "Go back to camp, Brookpaw! I'll come back with you! I have to do something first!"

Her friend narrowed her eyes and then bounded away.

Snowpaw then looked into Lionpaw's orange eyes. They comforted her.

"Lionpaw...I don't want to go..." She murmured softly and she suddenly rested her nose on his shoulder.

Lionpaw purred and licked her muzzle as she looked up, "I'll meet you at the river tonight, ok? Moon-rise?"

Snowpaw blushed and purred, "Ok...Moon-rise." She turned away and she felt Lionpaw glance at her as he padded back to camp.

She felt a little empty as she walked into camp. The sun was going down.

"Snowpaw!"

Her mother darted up to her.

"We've missed you! Where have you been!"

Snowpaw rolled her eyes, "I was...hunting. I'm fine."

Leafstar studied her daughter's face and with a satisfied purr, she padded away. Glacierclaw licked her ear and scolded her about going away from camp. Then all was quiet. She had to meet Lionpaw at Moon-rise and it was almost Sun-down. Then she thought about something.

She had been training for several moons! She was almost 18 moons old. Snowpaw smiled and took a sparrow off the fresh-kill pile, sitting by the apprentice den as she ate it.


	6. Him

Brookpaw smiled excitedly as she saw her friend.

"So...How was Lionpaw? He's very handsome..." She teased.

Snowpaw sighed impatiently and finished off her prey, rolling onto her back.

Most of the cats from camp were going to bed now and soon, Brookpaw, Cinderfur, and Snowpaw were the only ones awake. Cinderfur finally yawned and slipped into the warrior den. Brookpaw glanced at her friend.

"Are you meeting Lionpaw tonight?"

"How did you know!"

"You don't usually stay up this late..."

"Who cares?" Brookpaw gave her a disbelieving look and pranced into the apprentice den with a "Good night!".

Snowpaw stood up and quickly and quietly slipped out of camp. She looked at the river as she neared ThunderClan territory. The RiverClan camp was on the other side of the river and ThunderClan territory was only a couple mouse-lengths away.

She heard a rustle and it was Lionpaw.

"Lionpaw!" Snowpaw purred.

Snowpaw rubbed her nose against his cheek. Lionpaw purred.

"So..." He looked down at his paws.

"What about those interesting visitors?" He gave a mischievous glance at her. Snowpaw rolled her eyes, "We have them 'captive' but they're ok..." There was silence and they sat, side-by-side, facing the river together.

Suddenly, Lionpaw twined his tail with hers. Snowpaw felt her fur get hot and she looked away, embarrassed. But then again, her light blue eyes shone with pride and love as the moon reflected down on them. The silver, light clouds above even gshimmered. Was StarClan...praising them?

They both looked into the silvery river and they heard a twig crack behind them. Angry amber eyes were glaring at them from a thorn bush. A sleek, large, black, furry body shot out of the bush and headed back to the ShadowClan camp.

"Oh no...Oh no...Why _him_!" She wailed softly and stood up frantically.

"What?" Lionpaw asked worriedly.

They looked into each other's eyes sadly and Snowpaw then hissed,

"That was Ravenpaw! He's found out!"


End file.
